Rotor boat



F. M. ESLICK ROTOR BOAT Filed June 20, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l F. M.EsLlcK April 16, 1935.

ROTOR BOAT Filed June 20, 1935 5 Sheets-Shet 2 Wnmvj dwqo -10 F I r'")April 16, 1935,

v F. M. ESLICK ROTOR BOAT Filed June 20, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet s E1 1.Eslick Patented Apr. 16, 1935 PATENT ori ice ROTOR BOAT FrederickM.'Eslick, Savannah, Ga.

Application June 20, 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements .in rotor boats, and hasfor an object an improved boat' construction which will require lesspower for its propulsion and involve considerable .5 saving in fuel. 1 rThe invention also has for its purpose to provide greater comfort forthe'passengers inasmuch as the ship is so constructed as to have littleroll or pitch. The invention has for a further object greater safetybecause of the use of the large rotor floats in which the passengers canenter in time of great danger and which floats would not be apt 'to.sink unless badly damaged in several'places.

With the use of the invention no dry-docks will be necessary and theboats or ships will be uicker in starting and stopping and, easier tomaneuver.

With the foregoing and otherobjects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like 'or corresponding.parts throughout the several views, V

Figure l is a top plan view, with parts broken away, showing an improvedrotor boat constructed in accordance ith the present invention.

Figure '2 is a longitudinal central sectional view taken on the line 2-2in Figure 1.

Figure .3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 1-4 inFigure 6.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 1 andshowing one position of the rotor floats.

Figure 6 is a similar view with the floats in another position.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2 without the superstructure butshowing a cycle arrangement with the parts in the raised position.

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the lowered position of the parts.

Figure 9 is a cross section taken on the line 9-9 in Figure '7.

Figure 10 is a cross section taken on the line 10-10 in Figure '7, and

Figure 11 is also a cross section taken on the line ll-I| in Figure 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the boat consists of two ormore floats l2 and I3 shaped somewhat similar to torpedoes, with one ormore spiral fins l4 and IS on the outside 1933, Serial No. 676,716

of each float, so placed and at such angle that the rotating of thesefloats or rotors will cause the boat to move vrlth the desired speed.Suitable power for rotating the floats or rotors is provided ashereinafter described. Also a framework connected with and supported bythe floats or rotors is preferably employed together with suchsuperstructure as may be desired. Any usual method of steering may beemployed.

As shown more particularly in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive, the floats i2and i 3 consist of outer hulls mounted on shafts l6 and H, which shaftsare supported in cross beams 13 and I9. Within the hulls are water-tightbulkheads 20. These rotors may be additionally strengthened and braced,as desired.

Figure 1 shows the fore and aft decks 2i and 22 mounted upon the beams18 and I9 and upon such additional beams as is desired. The cabin orsuperstructure is represented at 23, at the forin Figure 1. Thesuperstructure may be of such shape, height and width as desired.

If desired the beams I8 and I9 may be arched upwardly from the water toraise the superstructure higher above the water level. Thesuperstructure is for passengers, crew, machinery and cargo. The beams I8 and I9 will, of course, be provided with bearings where the ends ofthe shafts l5 and I! pass through same.

Troughs or buckets 25 and 26 traverse the floats longitudinally from endto end and have outlets 21 near the ends of the floats above the waterlevel. The troughs 25 may be made of metal or other appropriate materialsubject to rolling or curling, as indicated in Figure 5, whereby onefree longitudinal edge of the trough may be welded. or

.otherwise secured to the interior wall of the hull .while the otherlongitudinal edge is disposed in a volutecurve and is spaced preferablysubstantially radially inward from the firstmentioned edge, therebyproviding a space between the edges 4 longitudinally of the floats downtoward the ports posed in mesh with a pinion 21, whereby the floats willbe self-evacuating of any leakage water.

An engine is shown at 28 in Figure 2 connected to fore and aft shafts 28and 38. These shafts carry bevel pinions 3| and 32. The pinion 3| at thefront is disposed in mesh with bevel pinions 33 and 34 affixed totransverse shafts 35 and 36 respectively, which are mounted inappropriate bearings on the front transverse beam IS. Clutches 3! and 38operate to connect and disconnect the shafts 35 and 36 from the pinions33 and 34. Bell crank levers 39 and 48 operate such clutches, Springs 4|hold the clutches normally engaged and cables 42 and 43 act to move thebell cranks to disengage the clutches. These cables extend to anoperating unit 44 in the pilot house. A similar operating unit 45 isprovided for operating through cables 46 and 41 extending to the rear ofthe boats and being connected respectively to bell cranks 48 and 49.These latter bell cranks are coupled to clutches 58 and 5| for shiftingthe pinions 52 and 53 into and out of mesh with the bevel rear drivepinion 32. Such pinions 52 and 53 are connected to shafts 54 and 55.These four transverse shafts 35, 36, 54 and 55 are connected by bevelpinions to the float shafts l6 and IT.

This shows one method only of driving the rotors. Either rotor may bethrown out of gear by slipping back the clutches that mesh with the mainshaft gears 3| and 32. In this way the rotors may be driven in one orthe other direction.

The boat will use less fuel and will throw a very small wave and it willnot churn the bottom of shallow waters.

Referring more particularly to Figures '7 to 11 inclusive, the device isshown applicable to water cycles. The cycle or pedal motor is used inplace of the engine 28 and is connected to the shafts 29 and 30. Theseshafts may be one and the same shaft passing through a bevel gear wheel56. Surrounding this pinion and the shaft is a rotatable box 51containing a meshing with the pinion 56. mounted on a shaft 59 havingThe pinion 58 is a pinion 60 dis- 8! on the pedal shaft 62. Such pedalshaft 62 is provided with the cranks or pedals 83 or 64. The shaft 59 ismounted in sections 65 and 66 of a telescopic housing which housing isconnected to the box 51 and to stabilizing arms 61 which are removablysecured to the posts 68 of the seat 89. These posts 68 are slidablymounted in slots 10 carried by a cross beam H and set screws 12 areemployed to hold the seat at any desired elevation.

The handle bars are represented at 13, such handle bars being supportedon the posts 14 slidable vertically in slots 15 and held in adjustedposition by set screws 16.

The slots 15 are carried in a cross beam 11.

The handle bars 13 and the steering unit I8 are carried upon the postsI4 and are adjustable up and down.

bevel pinion 58 In Figure 7 the seat and handle bars are shown in theelevated position out of the water.

In Figure 8 the seat and handle bars are shown as lowered much closer tothe water line. The housing 65, 66 has been rotated to the positionshown in Figure 8, and the arm 61 again connected to the seat postsbelow the water line so that the pedals are in the water. The arm 61 maybe connected at any point along the posts 68 to enable an adjustment ofthe height of the pedal.

The boat could be driven by a wind rotor similar to that used on theGerman rotor ship.

Also the invention is susceptible of embodiment in miniature form as atoy rotor boat in which the rotors would be turned out of light woodsubsequently dipped in paint and driven by rubber bands inside therotors, one end of which would be attached to a rotor and the other endto a wire leading through the opposite end of the rotor and fastened tothe frame. The rotors would be wound up in the opposite direction fromwhich they were to run and the rubber bands would drive them whenreleased.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims:-

What is claimed is:-

1. In a rotor boat, a hollow float, a trough in the float rotating withthe float and having ports open at opposite ends, and means to rotatethe float.

2. In a rotor boat, a hollow torpedo shaped hull having driving means onthe exterior thereof, means to rotate the hull, and a trough extendinglongitudinally within said hull and having open ends near the ends ofthe hull raised above the water level.

3. In a rotor boat, a hollow torpedo shaped hull having external drivingmeans thereon,

means to rotate said hull, a trough consisting of :a curled piece ofsheet material having its outer edge secured longitudinally within thehull, said hullhaving ports therein raised above the water level and atopposite ends of said trough.

4. In a rotor boat, hollow floats, a boat strucl ture carried thereby, ashaft for operating said floats, a box rotatably mounted about saidshaft, a telescopic housing connected to said box, a. drive shaft gearedto said first shaft and mounted in said housing, a pedal shaft connectedto said housing shaft, a seat having adjustable posts, detachable armsconnected between the posts and said housing, and handle bars andsteering mechanism mounted also for vertical adjustment in front of saidseat.

' FREDERICK M. ESLICK.

